August 04, 2003
| The 2003 Texas A&M volleyball lineup will require a class act. Members from each classification will be called upon to help the Aggies achieve their goals of winning the Big 12 Conference championship and advancing deep into the NCAA tournament. The Aggies return 12 letterwinners and one redshirt freshman from last year's team that went 21-10 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament for the 10th consecutive year. The list of returners, five of whom were regulars in the starting lineup, is balanced with four players from the senior class, four from the junior class and four from the sophomore class. In addition, head coach Laurie Corbelli, in her 11th season at A&M, brings in a heralded freshman - middle blocker who is expected to contend for a starting spot.
"Many years I look down the roster and see some really young players who are on there more for future years," Corbelli said. "This season, even the young players have a very definite and contributing role, and that is going to be a huge benefit for us." , a fifth-year senior, is a major cornerstone for the Aggies and the senior class. The 6-2 middle blocker is the most experienced player on the team, having appeared in all but three matches over the past three seasons. "Tara will head up our blocking scheme, and her experience is going to be evident," Corbelli said. "Blocking is her forte, and she is definitely one of the best middles in the Big 12." Right-side hitter is another prominent returning starter who helps balance the front row with her size and power, as well as her dynamic slide attack. After serving as a backup middle blocker her first two years with the program, the 6-2 senior found her niche last year after switching to the right side and perfecting her lethal slide attack. "Being 6-2 with a great jump off of one leg, a quick arm swing and the power she brings to the attack, she is really hard to contain," Corbelli said. "Opponents have to worry about her, and she also will make the other front-row players stand out even more, because she is going to balance the court and open more options in the middle and on the left." , a fifth-year senior who found her role last season as the designated libero, and power-swinging outside hitter , who is determined to contribute after being hampered by injuries throughout her career, complete a senior class focused on leading the team to a higher level. and , who shared team MVP honors last year, highlight the junior class. Munsch, an all-Big 12 selection as a outside hitter last year and A&M's leading middle blocker during her illustrious freshman campaign, is fundamentally sound in all aspects of the game and is a major key to the Aggies' success. With her athletic 6-2 build, great speed and powerful attack, the two-year starter is an aggressive offensive threat from all areas of the court. "Melissa is the most well-balanced and most incredibly versatile player at this level that I've coached," Corbelli said. "She is a born volleyball player, and she possesses the talent and a lot of the intangibles to go a long way in the sport." In addition, Munsch's keen passing allows Beers more options to run the offense. Beers immediately stepped up to the challenging role of starting setter following the 2001 season and the conclusion of senior All-American Jenna Moscovic's career. In only her second year in the program, Beers started every match for the Aggies in 2002 and was the only player to see action in every game. She also earned the Coaches' Award in addition to her team co-MVP accolade. "Lexy is 100 percent committed to the team and was major in this team evolving last year and getting it to where it is now," Corbelli said. "She has experienced just about every situation you can experience, and that is going to reap so many benefits for her and our squad this season. "She is a smart and composed player who consistently finds a way to put the ball where it needs to be. She also has diligently worked on a quicker release and some of the more detailed things that will speed up the offense and make it more diverse. She understands the benefit of balancing the attack, and she strives to attain equal distribution from antenna to antenna." Outside hitter and middle blocker enter their third years in the program determined to see significant court time after being hampered by injuries last season. Moreira, who missed much of last season with a back injury, can play either outside position. In addition, she will be needed on the court to receive serves as she is one of the top passers on the squad.
Felder's strength is her blocking, and Corbelli expects the 6-1 middle to be a big surprise this season. The athletic Felder, who still was regaining her strength last season following shoulder surgery, has the highest reach on the team and will be needed to solidify the middle blocking duties. , last year's freshman phenom, is back with a valuable year of experience and a wealth of determination. The fearless 6-3 outside hitter, who was named the 2002 AVCA Central Region and Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year and also garnered all-Central Region and all-Big 12 accolades, led the Aggies in kills (3.77) and points (4.41) per game to earn A&M best offensive player honors. In addition to her offensive domination in the front row she, like Munsch, adds another dimension to the scheme with her powerful and effective attack from the back row. "Laura is a versatile player in the sense that we can use her to side out on the first attack from just about anywhere on the court," Corbelli said. "She can hit a quick set in the middle; she can hit a quick set behind the setter; she can hit a slow ball or a deep ball, and she hits with power and precision. She is going to be a back row attacker extrordinaire, and she allows us to be creative with our attack options because she is so capable." The fiery and competitive-driven Jones also is similar to Munsch in that her ball control skills are superb and her range is excellent. In addition, she, too, possesses an effective jump serve, and is an all-around prominent figure in the lineup. Although sophomore cohorts , , and saw limited action last season, Baker is rapidly progressing and could see time in the middle, while Clay is one of the top contenders for the libero position. Kelley plays a vital role as the backup to Beers. Hahn, whose sister Kathy is a decorated middle blocker for rival Texas, drew nationwide attention during the recruiting process and was selected as one of the top 50 high school recruits in the nation by Volleyball Magazine. Although only 6-0, her knowledge of the game, high level of experience for her age and all-around athletic ability put her in prime position to compete for a starting role in her inaugural season. "Christi is unmatched in her work ethic, and she is very athletic in terms of her speed, mobility and hand-eye coordination," Corbelli said. "She is a highly skilled player at her level, and both her blocking and attacking skills are well developed. She is very quick and she understands the importance of position and timing. The mobility that she brings is going to open up a lot of options for us, and she will force a lot of situations that we want to occur." , a redshirt freshman who appears ready to contribute on the court and get into the act, completes the balanced roster. The athletic outside hitter showed tremendous progress in her skill development and understanding while refining her raw athletic talent last season, In addition, Burton attacks at a very high point and adds sheer power to the Aggies' formidable front row.
"We are going to be more powerful and have more size at the net than we have ever had before," Corbelli said. "In addition, our sideout game is going to be very strong because of Lexy's ball distribution and the fact that so many of our attackers are effective around the entire net. In addition, so many of them can pass and attack very efficiently. "And with our experience in passing, I'm real confident with our passing situation and I don't expect that to be an issue." While the Aggies' passing, offensive power at the net and sideout game are the major strengths, blocking and defense are areas of concern for Corbelli. "Blocking is going to be really important for us," Corbelli said. "It is not how high we are getting, but how efficiently we are taking up the blocking space we need to take up just from a game standpoint. "Defending attacks out of the middle is usually the biggest challenge for most teams, as it will be for us. But with strong serving and great defense, we will attempt to keep teams from running their middles as much." Last year the Aggies were searching to replace five senior starters who in 2001 had led A&M to its second NCAA Elite appearance, a No. 11 final ranking and a second-place finish in the Big 12. Although the team slipped to fifth in the final Big 12 standings with a 12-8 mark and fell out of the Top 25 after a historic run of 111 consecutive weeks in the national poll, the experience and knowledge gained by that squad will be instrumental in the team's success in 2003. "Last season we had some bumps in the road, particularly in four or five matches that went to a fifth game," Corbelli said. "We led in those matches, but we could not put it together when we needed to and were unable to finish off the win. That was not a good experience for the group, but they have learned a lesson and have every intention of avoiding that situation. Last season will pay off for us this year. "Plus I sense an urgency among the team. They feel the expectations and they know the history of the program, especially the last five years and twice reaching the Elite Eight. That motivates them to achieve and strive to go beyond." Going beyond translates into winning a Big 12 championship and advancing to the Final Four to be played just down the road in Dallas. Although the goals are lofty, this team's aspirations should not be discounted.
"We are really vying for a Big 12 Conference championship," Corbelli said. "And of all the years of the Big 12, the 2001 team and this team maybe the two most capable of doing that. We also want to go further in the NCAA tournament than we have ever gone. That would be an incredible dream for this team, and yet it is very possible. "The major factors are going to be how smart the team continues to become. Physically and ability-wise, we are pretty close to being there, and we have the experience. It comes down to our composure and if we have the sophistication that we need. That is a big ingredient for the teams that go that far." A home match against defending national champion Southern California, three tournaments, as well as the constantly challenging Big 12 Conference slate, highlight the 2003 schedule. A&M is scheduled to play a total of 30 matches -- 13 matches at home and 17 matches on the road -- during the regular season. Twelve of the matches are against teams that participated in the 2002 NCAA tournament, including a home battle against the No. 1 Trojans, who eliminated A&M in the second round of the NCAA tournament en route to their national title. The match against USC will mark the fourth time over the last four seasons that A&M has hosted the defending national champion and/or a team that has gone on to win the national crown. In addition to the contest against USC, A&M plays six matches against opponents that were ranked in the final 2002 USA Today/AVCA Top 25 Poll and two others that received points in the poll. "We consider this schedule to be one of the most balanced schedules we've played in a long time," Corbelli said. "The pre-conference tournaments are against a range of opponents from NCAA tournament teams to teams that are finishing in the top two of their respective conferences. "Knowing the fall schedule has inspired our team to work even harder this spring and to set our sights on the upcoming great competition." The Aggies kick off the season at the Duke Invitational, Aug. 29-30. A&M is slated to face Marquette, Pittsburgh and NCAA tournament participant Duke in the four-team tournament. A&M then heads to Price's home state as the Aggies play a tournament hosted by the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor on Sept. 5-7. The Aggies face NCAA participants Louisville and Michigan, in addition to Murray State. A&M makes its home debut Sept. 12-13 when the Aggies host top-ranked USC, Centenary and Southwest Missouri State in the McDonald's/Texas A&M Invitational. The tournament represents the Aggies' final tune up for the competitive Big 12 Conference season. "Our own tournament brings in the national-champion Trojans to test us early, and we couldn't ask for a better barometer than that," Corbelli said. The Aggies then open league play at five-time defending Big 12 champion Nebraska on Sept. 17. "The Big 12 will be very balanced once again, and several teams will be in a real battle for the championship," Corbelli said. "As possibly the toughest conference in the nation, the Big 12 keeps our program striving for the top and allows us to play the highest level of national competition every week. We wouldn't want it any other way." But to be successful at the highest level, the Aggies must have contributions from each class, and that is something Corbelli expects. "Every player has something outstanding to contribute," Corbelli said. "Regardless of their class, each player will have a role and will be out on the court at some point, and that makes for an exciting season." |
